November 2, 2017

A Britney Spears slot machine reflects on the Planet Hollywood casino floor as a woman in a spangly dress totters by. I took that photo last night near the Britney Spears show "Piece of Me," which Chris and I saw last night.

MTV News contributor Sophie Schillaci wrote that "Spears delivered on her signature style of larger-than-life production, blaring beats and rapid-fire dance moves, whirling through seven costume changes and even a couple of wig changes." Schillaci also commented that long-time fans would appreciate the concert as it is "more of a look backwards than forwards," and added that, while Spears may not sing completely live, "[the singer's] sweet voice shone through the backing, or we could hear her catching her breath between numbers." She concluded her review saying that "if you're looking for a powerhouse vocal performance in your Vegas entertainment, head over to The Colosseum for Celine Dion. But Britney fans will find no better show on the strip than 'Piece of Me'."...

We had kind of bad seats... especially after a man who must have been 7 feet tall sat down in front of Chris. I laughed a few times at the sheer bad luck of that and wondered how the guy feels every time he sits down in front of someone.

Anyway, Britney Spears isn't exactly my kind of music and I don't even like concerts that much, but I thought it was a good choice for a classic Las Vegas experience. Lots of flashing lights and swirling imagery and undulating dancers. Undulating and also, very frequently, doing what I consider Britney's signature dance move: walking emphatically.

Gahrie wrote: "But I have a hard time understanding how a feminist could tolerate her. She basically reinforced and monetized the objectification of women."

This reminded me of something I read yesterday in Drew Friedman's "Sideshow Freaks." In the introduction, Penn quotes his partner, Teller: "we did tricks and bits in our show so people would have an excuse to stare at us. People all just want to stare at other people."

Sideshow freaks, Britney Spears, politicians, Springsteen on Broadway, YouTube visitors who watch people play video games, Althouse: It's all the same. We just want to stare at other people.

How can you tell for sure? Most of the time, we can't even remember what they're saying.

Didn't the fact that Britney Spears is a prime example of the Disney exploitation of tweens and proto-paedophilia conflict with your newfound aversion to Hollywood products because of exploitation and abuse?

A few months ago, I went grocery shopping at a nearby Publix, and on the dairy aisle, I saw an extremely tall man. A woman next to him asked, "How tall are you?" to which the man replied, "Seven feet."

I thought that was kind of rude of her, but moved on and continued my shopping. When I got to the checkout, the tall man was at the next register. The cashier asked, "How tall are you?"

"Seven feet," he replied.

We both finished checking out at the same time, and as I was walking out next to him I said, "You must get really tired of hearing that question."

I also remember thinking at the time the he probably must get tired of ducking through doorways. Most buildings aren't designed for people who are seven feet tall. I'd guess that if he had a custom-built house, it would have extra-high doorways.

I was at a store where someone asked a tall dude how tall he was. The tall dude said 'seven feet.' As another person walked beside the tall dude that other person asked the tall dude if he's tired of that question. The tall dude said 'no comment.'

The tall dude and I were putting stuff into our adjoining cars so I asked if being asked about being asked about his height sucked. He said that every derivative iteration of the Q was exponentially more annoying/smarmy. IOW I really F-ed up.

"Born in Philadelphia, one of 10 children, Wilt began attracting attention after growing five inches the summer he entered high school. Recalling the difficulty of adjusting to his height, he remembered people asking him interminably: "How's the weather up there". He would spit downward and reply: "It's raining". "

As I have mentioned before, I sometimes see celebrities come into the store; last night was no different. A woman walks in wearing a long coat and a red trucker cap pulled down low over her eyes. I know who she is immediately, but I show no outward recognition -- if you want repeat customers you need to honor expectations of privacy, at least for the ones who aren't twitching freaks...

The woman walks back through the aisles and collects a video here, a video there. Eventually she comes up to the counter with these videos and a woman's small masturbation device...

"I know you know who I am," she says in a dusky voice, and I nod: of course it is Britney Spears. She obviously has some years on her, but she still looks good, except for the sadness in her eyes...

I ring up the videos and instantly notice the theme: on each of the covers are porn-stars, dressed like Britney from that video back in the day -- the schoolgirl skirt, the knee-high socks, the shirt tied up and pulled above her stomach with the push-up bra, the hair thing with the braids. It's still a thing in porn, that look: a lot of guys grew up on her music videos, and now -- years later -- they have accepted their lonely, broken status in life and masturbate to a facsimile of their teenage fantasy-girl...

"They're not for me," she says, and I admit, I feel a bit better: I had pictured Britney at home, masturbating with her new masturbation device to shoddy representations of her lost youth, sucking cocks and being bent over and fucked with her schoolgirl skirt pulled up over her hips. Instead, it got sadder...

"They're for my man," she says. "He gets off on girls who look like me when I was young."

I am not sure how to reply to that, so I simply nod...

"I know -- I know: pathetic, right? He's downstairs on the couch jerking off to girls who look like me back in the day getting fucked in the ass, and I'm upstairs masturbating to Justin Timberlake movies."

I sympathetically nod again, and finish ringing her up.

"Getting old sucks," she says as I hand her the bag.

"You're still a very beautiful woman," I say, hoping somehow that might make her feel a little better...

"That's nice," she says. "But it hurts when everyone loved you best when you were eighteen."

"That must be tough."

"Yeah. But the video of the Britney getting fucked by the black guy with the big black cock...?"

People assume that it's good to be tall so it's okay to say things to a very tall person. He must like being tall and get advantages from being tall, so why not needle him? But being exceedingly tall has its problems, including the requirement to impose on other people and being out of proportion to others.

I know some women really want the man to be bigger than her. But this man was with a woman whose head was at his elbow level. That can't feel too great.

I know some women really want the man to be bigger than her. But this man was with a woman whose head was at his elbow level. That can't feel too great.*********YIKES! I find the mixing of Talls and Shorts to be one of the most deeply offensive of human couplings. As a short female (60" and shrinking) I dated a guy that was 6' 2" - once. I fucking hated it and never went over 5' 8" after that. It was like being molested by some kind of weird, fleshy stick creature. Clumsy long arms and legs everywhere. Ugh. And you can't carry on a conversation if you are standing and in a noisy environment - I would have to scream to be heard over the distance, or he would have to crouch down uncomfortably.

So if you are a short guy reading this - there are women out there that prefer you - but you have to be devoid of the "Short Man's Chip" on your shoulder. Being resentful over your height is very unattractive.

If women are for equality, why wouldn't they prefer someone who's about the same size? Don't you want to look someone in the eye? Don't you want to be face to face in face to face sexual positions? You want your face to be in the middle of his chest and his face is looking at a pillow? What is the good of this? It's like having clothes that are too big. A good fit is better. Really, what is the female psychology that says I want a man who towers over me? You want a father figure? You want to feel small? You're afraid a man who is more your size makes you look too tall. Why do you want to look short? Really, what's going on there? I am feeling critical of these women who are not themselves tall but want men over 6 feet tall.

"It was like being molested by some kind of weird, fleshy stick creature."

Ha ha.

"Clumsy long arms and legs everywhere."

Yes, I don't see what's so attractive about lots of arm and leg. I've seen a lot of naked models (in life drawing classes) and I would rather see/draw non-elongated limbs. It's torsos that really matter. I read long ago (in the New Yorker) that male port actors tend to be short.

"Ugh. And you can't carry on a conversation if you are standing and in a noisy environment - I would have to scream to be heard over the distance, or he would have to crouch down uncomfortably."

"We had kind of bad seats... especially after a man who must have been 7 feet tall sat down in front of Chris."Heh..I had the same thing during my 3rd NAB convention induced attendance at the big at time Sigfreid & Roy show...though the offender was a seasoned gal sporting a Marge Simpson vertical do.I predicted it and mentioned it to staff as I was seated..but they said the stage was elevated. Not enough...